Universal Credit Full Service is a digital service designed to enable customers to manage their own data and account online at a time which is convenient for them. As well as giving them access to online statements for payment information, and their journal for interacting with their dedicated Case Manager and Work Coach, customers are able to report changes online when they would previously have called us.<\/p>
<\/p>
We do not currently hold any management information that specifically correlates abandoned calls to use of online services. However, as of November 2017, the percentage of customers claiming online is over 95%, and those reporting changes online is now over 80%. This type of channel shift is helping reduce the calls we receive as a percentage of the caseload: Universal Credit Full Service calls per claim ratio has decreased from 2.7 in April 2016 to 1.0 by the end of October 2017.<\/p>
<\/p>
There was no cost to the public purse for abandoned calls as this forms part of the contract we have with BT, and following the introduction of the free phone numbers to Universal Credit helplines in November 2017 there will no longer be a cost to the customer.<\/p>
<\/p>
Between September 2016 and October 2017 the average length of time before a call was voluntarily abandoned by the Universal Credit Full Service customer was 5 minutes 19 seconds.<\/p>
<\/p>
Notes \u2013<\/p>
<\/p>
1) The data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. The data should therefore be treated with caution.<\/p>
<\/p>
2) Data is not yet available for November 2017.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3969", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Damian Hinds"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Hampshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Damian Hinds"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-08T12:37:18.62Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-12-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit: Telephone Services"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December to Question 118690, on Universal Credit: Telephone Services, what the evidential basis is to support the position that people abandoned calls to use the online service; what the cost to the public purse was of abandoned calls in each month since September 2016; and what the average length of abandoned calls was in that time period.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4569", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jim McMahon"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Oldham West and Royton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jim McMahon"} ], "uin" : "121092"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/810652", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/810652/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department is continually monitoring sanction decisions across all Jobcentres.<\/p>
<\/p>
The latest statistics regarding this can be found on Gov.uk up to June 2017 -<\/p>
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-sanctions-statistics-2017<\/strong><\/a><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3969", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Damian Hinds"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Hampshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Damian Hinds"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-08T16:00:37.563Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-12-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Social Security Benefits: Glasgow"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will monitor trends in the level of sanction decisions at Shettleston Jobcentre for 12 months after the divestment of Bridgeton, Parkhead and Easterhouse Jobcentres.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4640", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Linden"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Glasgow East"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "David Linden"}
], "uin" : "120997"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/810714", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/810714/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " In order to roll out Universal Credit safely and securely, improvements are built into the Universal Credit IT system using a test and learn approach. We learn from our data and research before features are considered, approved and progressed. Implementing the automated system is important to us and will be prioritised in due course.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3969", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Damian Hinds"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Hampshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Damian Hinds"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-08T15:54:52.88Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-12-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 21 December 2017 to Question 119929 on universal credit, when the automated system will be be operational.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4672", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ged Killen"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rutherglen and Hamilton West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ged Killen"}
], "uin" : "121059"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/810716", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/810716/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Since the Written Ministerial Statement laid out in Parliament on 5 July 2017 confirming our plan to rationalise the DWP estate, the Department has closed 46 jobcentres up to and including 20 December 2017.<\/p> <\/p> The staff and services from 26 jobcentres have merged into nearby, larger Jobcentre offices, and there have been 20 co-locations with Local Authorities.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3969", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Damian Hinds"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Hampshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Damian Hinds"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-08T15:51:12.083Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-12-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Jobcentres: Closures"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobcentre premises were closed in 2017, including centres that were merged with larger jobcentres or co-located in other government buildings.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4672", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ged Killen"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rutherglen and Hamilton West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ged Killen"}
], "uin" : "121061"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/810717", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/810717/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " DWP does not collect information on the travel times and distances for individual claimants.<\/p> <\/p> When DWP looked at proposed jobcentre closures, there was a reasonable expectation that claimants can travel 3 miles or 20 minutes by public transport to a new jobcentre location from their existing jobcentre.<\/p> <\/p> There are large areas of the country where claimants have always travelled further than this.<\/p> <\/p> If claimants are experiencing any difficulties with accessing DWP services, they should discuss their issues with their work coach who will be happy to help overcome any issues affecting their claim or work search.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3969", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Damian Hinds"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Hampshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Damian Hinds"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-08T15:44:45.747Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-12-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Jobcentres"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the average distance a claimant travels to reach their nearest job centre for an appointment; and what the average distance is in rural areas.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4672", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ged Killen"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rutherglen and Hamilton West"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ged Killen"}
], "uin" : "121062"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/810746", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/810746/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " When making an online claim for Universal Credit, claimants are signposted to independent websites and benefit calculators which highlight other support that may be available in their area, including Council Tax reduction.<\/p> <\/p> DWP staff are aware of support available locally and this forms a key part of the conversations during the initial stages of a Universal Credit claim.<\/p> <\/p> They also promote national products of support, such as the online money manager developed by the Money Advice Service.<\/p> <\/p> There is a section on Gov.uk relating to budgeting support which can be found here:<\/p> <\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-budgeting-support-for-universal-credit-claimants<\/a><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3969", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Damian Hinds"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Hampshire"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Damian Hinds"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-08T14:00:28.873Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-12-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Universal Credit: Council Tax Reduction Schemes"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether jobcentre plus staff inform clients claiming universal credit that they are eligible to claim council tax relief in those local authority areas where this relief is still available for working-age people.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4657", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Anneliese Dodds"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Oxford East"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Anneliese Dodds"}
], "uin" : "121091"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/810199", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/810199/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The data requested is not held, however the number of older workers in the UK currently stands at 10 million workers aged 50 years with over 8.8 million individuals aged 50-64 in employment; an increase of 1.2 million people compared to five years ago. There are 1.2 million individuals in employment aged 65 and over.<\/p> <\/p> Employment rates for older workers have also been increasing steadily. In the past ten years, the employment rate for people aged 50-64 has increased by 6.0 percentage points (from 65.2% in 2007 to 71.2% in 2017). The employment rate for individuals aged 65 and over has almost doubled to 10.1%, from 5.1% twenty years ago.<\/p> <\/p> Further information on estimates of employment, unemployment, economic inactivity and other employment-related statistics for the UK can be found in the \u201cUK labour market: December 2017\u201d statistical bulletin published at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website:<\/p> https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/december2017<\/a><\/p> <\/p> Further information on labour market statistics for separate UK countries, as well as local areas, can be found at the NOMIS website:<\/p> https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/<\/a><\/p> <\/p> The Government is committed to supporting people aged 50 years and over to remain in and return to work; the \u2018Fuller Working Lives: A Partnership Approach\u2019 strategy was published on 2nd February. This, crucially, is led by employers, but it also sets out the case for action by individuals, and the role of Government in supporting them in planning their careers and their approach to retirement. The Strategy and supporting evidence base are available at the attached web address:<\/p>